Delectable regional dishes at Les Roches in Saint-Romain

Les Roches was already an inn over 100 years ago. But few of the hôtel restaurant’s proprietors over the last 10 decades came to the place with as much experience, as much enthusiasm and as much talent as Séverine and Guillaume Crotet. Reopened just after Easter 2006 by Séverine and Guillaume, Les Roches is on many Burgundy insiders’ lists of top country restaurants for unpretentious, interesting regional cuisine.

The young couple have transformed the inn into a very good bistro-restaurant and hotel decorated in an attractive, unfussy style which is in perfect harmony with the surroundings here in Saint-Romain, a traditional winegrowing village 15 minutes south of Beaune.

Prestigious restaurants such as Troisgros in Roanne, l’Espérance in Vézelay and the Gourmandin in Beaune have all seen Guillaume in the kitchens. Even before starting his professional career he was steeped in culinary tradition, his family owned the famous Hostellerie de Levernois just outside Beaune. Guillaume has a very clear view of what a village restaurant should be. Already very well integrated into village life in Saint-Romain, both Guillaume and Séverine are firm believers in the role of the rural inn as the focal point of the village, a showcase for the best in local culinary and viticultural tradition. And since the restaurant wine list features all the winegrowers in Saint-Romain it is a challenge to select one in particular. On a recent visit Séverine steadfastly refused to recommend one of the Saint-Romains on the list – local friends and winegrowers tolerate no favouritism when you are the only restaurant around with every wine from the Saint-Romain AOC on your list – the unofficial showcase.

So we chose the white 2004 from Christophe Buisson, and an excellent choice it was too – steely and mineral as one hopes a Saint-Romain will be. To accompany the wine we selected a mix of the traditional and intriguingly innovative from the Les Roches menu on the blackboard propped up against the terrace railings for our perusal. Alongside traditional staples like boeuf bourguignon and oeufs en meurette, Guillaume’s menu had a few tantalising dishes like veal sweetbreads and swordfish tournedos steaks. The ‘tatin d’oreille de cochon à la sauge’, tatin of pigs ear in sage sauce was simply delicious. The sage and vinegar sauce offset the fattiness of the pork with great aplomb. Our vegetable side dish included courgettes to die for. And the kids’ menu at €10 with volaille à la crème and delicious mashed potato left us wishing we were 10 years-old again.

The whole feast came to about €30 a head per adult (plus wine). Les Roches also offers a 4-course menu at €21. In summer diners have a marvellous view of the cliffs in Saint-Romain from the terrace in front of the restaurant. For cosy winter evenings, ask for a table near the fire. As my mother said when she tasted the ‘tatin d’oreille de cochon à la sauge’, “mmh, my favourite food is French provincial”. The Restaurant Les Roches is the perfect spot for quality regional cuisine. The Hôtel Les Roches has eight pretty and reasonably priced rooms for hill walkers, cliff climbers, tourists or gourmet guests.